Biodegradable Waste Management Research Articles

COMPOSTING AS A METHOD OF BIODEGRADABLE WASTE MANAGEMENT

This paper discusses the composting process as one of the methods of biodegradable waste management. It presents the fundamentals of the composting process, an overview of raw materials for composting, the basic characteristics of composting products, as well as an example of composting within the public utility company “Mediana” from Niš.

AEROBIC COMPOSTING OF MIXING SEWAGE SLUDGE WITH GREEN WASTE FROM LAWN GRASS

Biological decomposition process is an important goal in terms of pollution reduction. By composting, the organic waste can be converted into compost and can be used for agricultural purposes, to improve the soil quality. The present study aimed to evaluate the behavior of materials such as sewage sludge and green waste during composting, their compatibility in mixtures and the quality of the end product. Also, the study highlighted the technical and operational characteristics of a composting system on a laboratory scale. The main advantage of this laboratory scale experiment is the reduced processing time and the fact that it can be fast adapted to different experimental conditions. The pilot scale experiment allowed to investigate the dynamics of main parameters during the composting process and provide the basis for an efficient design process. The elaborated composting process is a convenient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly process for biodegradable organic waste management, being also a feasible and controllable process. The best intervals for physico-chemical parameter values that were obtained at the end of the composting process are: pH in the range of 8.2 8.6; moisture content in the range of 59.9 % 65.8 %; organic matter in the range of 81.9 % 91.6 %; the C/N ratio in the range of 17.5 18.7. The obtained results show that all composting variants lead to the production of a quality compost that can be used in agriculture.

Bio-nutrient recycling with a novel integrated biodegradable waste management system for catering companies

Conventionally, catering waste is stored as per the requirements of Regulation (EU) No. 142/2011 before it is accepted for treatment by waste managers. Due to significant electricity and fuel consumption, the storage and waste management service not only cause substantial impacts on air quality and the climate, but also increase expenditure for catering companies. On-site intensive composting could considerably decrease these negative effects. Moreover, it would contribute to a circular economy by promoting nutrient recycling. In this study, the compost produced by an Oklin GG 10s on-site composter was characterised by high organic matter (>75% of dry matter), total nitrogen (1.85% of dry matter), and total potassium (1.85% of dry matter) contents. The total phosphorus content was relatively low (0.24% of dry matter), with most of it being in water-soluble form (444.60 mg L−1). The compost contained no heavy metals, organic pollutants, and pathogens. The direct impact on air quality was positive (0.042 kg t−1 or 3.4 times lower than that from intensive/centralised food waste composting). This paper presents the results of the compost quality analysis and air emissions evaluation.

Optimizing municipal biodegradable waste management system to increase biogas output and nutrient recovery: a case study in Lithuania

Despite large investments to modern centralised mixed municipal waste (MMW) management plants (mechanical biological treatment (MBT)), environmental impact has been decreased less than was expected due to several determined reasons in Lithuania. Energy consumption for MMW management exceeds production volume of alternative energy in municipal biodegradable waste (BDW) fermentation equipment. Produced “technical compost” does not correspond to the requirements for contamination and quality of compost to be used in agriculture and can be used only as a stabilate for overlay of landfill layer and landfill restoration. This article presents the results of optimization possibilities of municipal BDW management in one of the Lithuanian regions. A few alternatives were suggested, but the source separation of municipal BDW from individual household was selected for implementation as the best available alternative for the target region from a technical, environmental, and economic point of view. The results of the carried out experiment with the source separation of municipal BDW and processing in the tunnel of the existing MBT plant have shown that biogas output can increase up to 114 m3 per tonne of the municipal BDW. This approach would allow increasing alternative energy production in MBT plant by 4.9 times and producing compost instead of the stabilate. In case of the target region, overall alternative energy production would exceed energy demand (including for BDW transportation), by over 7 thousand GJ per year. Thus GHGs (without biogenic CO2) would decrease by approximately 600 tonnes per year.

Decentralized biodegradable kitchen waste management using microbial consortia ‘KAU’s composting inoculums’ in urban and semi urban households of Kollam district through frontline demonstrations

Decentralized biodegradable kitchen waste management using microbial consortia ‘KAU’s composting inoculums’ in urban and semi urban households of Kollam district through frontline demonstrations

Biodegradable waste management as a practical example of green economy

Biodegradable waste management as a practical example of green economy

Explaining the differences in household food waste collection and treatment provisions between local authorities in England and Wales

Separate household food waste collection for anaerobic digestion is one method used in the sustainable management of biodegradable municipal solid waste (MSW). Recycling of food waste contributes to the UK’s reuse, recycling and composting targets and can help local authorities boost plateauing rates whilst encouraging landfill diversion. This study explored the reasons for differences in the provision of food waste collections, using two comparable local authorities, one with a collection in Wales (Cardiff), and the other absent of such service in England (Southampton). A PESTLE analysis investigated the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental impacts of separate food waste collections. The greenhouse gas impacts of the collection and treatment systems of MSW in both cities were estimated for 2012/13. Results showed significant policy and legislative differences between devolved governments, that separate food waste collections can save local authorities significant sums of money and substantially reduce greenhouse gas impacts. A survey of one hundred respondents in each city aimed to understand attitudes and behaviours towards recycling, food waste segregation, cooking and purchasing habits. The number of frequent recyclers and levels of satisfaction were higher in the authority which provided a separate food waste collection. In the area which lacked a separate collection service, over three-quarters of respondents would participate in such a scheme if it were available.

Management of Biodegradable Waste among Rural Residents in Southern Nigeria: Implications for Environmental Public Health

Abstract This work investigated the management of biodegradable waste among residents in a South-East Locality of Nigeria. The design adopted was descriptive survey design. The population size was 270,902 residents in Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area. The sample for the study consisted of 840 respondents selected using a multi-stage procedure. Four objectives guided the study. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency tables and simple percentages. The study revealed that majority(706; 84&%) of the residents agreed on the common types of biodegradable waste generated; majority use broom and bare hand (hand picking) to collect biodegradable waste with the frequencies of 648 (77%) and 560 (67%)respectively; majority agreed on the methods of transporting biodegradable waste with an overall frequency of 584 (70%) and that majority agreed the methods of disposal of biodegradable waste with an overall frequency of 632 (75%). Based on these, it was recommended among others that health educators should be employed in the ministry of environment with mandate of organizing health talks for the residents to enlighten them on the management of biodegradable and that government should provide adequate means and facilities for the management of waste in our surroundings.

Elimination of greenhouse gas emission due to improvement of biodegradable waste management system

In order to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gasses (GHG) from landfills, European Union (EU) Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC requires a progressive reduction of the municipal biodegradable waste disposal. The main problem of the waste management system in Latvia is a heavy dependence from the waste disposal at landfills. An insufficient separate waste collection system and a promotion of the landfilling as a major treatment option, leaded to the disposal of 84% of the total collected municipal waste in 2012 with a high share of the biodegradable waste. Therefore, in Latvia, the volume of emissions due to the activities of the waste management branch was 5.23% (632.6 CO2 eq.) of the total GHG emissions produced in the national economy in 2010 (12 097 Gg CO2 eq., except the land use, land-use change and forestry). The aim of this research is to revise the current situation of the management of biodegradable waste in Latvia, and to propose the future activities for the practical improvements dealing with biodegradable waste. The Waste Management Planning System (WAMPS) software has been used as an environmental impact analysis tool for the modelling waste management scenarios. The WAMPS software calculates emissions, energy and turnover of waste streams for processes within the waste management system, e.g., waste collection and transportation, composting, anaerobic digestion, and final disposal – landfilling or incineration. The obtained results are presented in four environmental impact categories: acidification, global warming, eutrophication and photo-oxidant formation, which are characterised by a certain emission. It covers an integrated waste management system starting with the activities where products become waste and have been put into the waste bin at waste generation source to the last point, where the waste becomes either useful material (recycled material, biogas or compost) or becomes part of emissions in the environment after its final disposal at landfill or incineration plant.

Challenges and opportunities of biodegradable plastics: A mini review.

The concept of materials coming from nature with environmental advantages of being biodegradable and/or biobased (often referred to as bioplastics) is very attractive to the industry and to the consumers. Bioplastics already play an important role in the fields of packaging, agriculture, gastronomy, consumer electronics and automotive, but still they have a very low share in the total production of plastics (currently about 1% of the about 300 million tonnes of plastic produced annually). Biodegradable plastics are often perceived as the possible solution for the waste problem, but biodegradability is just an additional feature of the material to be exploited at the end of its life in specific terms, in the specific disposal environment and in a specific time, which is often forgotten. They should be used as a favoured choice for the applications that demand a cheap way to dispose of the item after it has fulfilled its job (e.g. for food packaging, agriculture or medical products). The mini-review presents the opportunities and future challenges of biodegradable plastics, regarding processing, properties and waste management options.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Municipal Biodegradable Waste Management System in Kaunas City Municipality

This paper analyses one of the municipal waste management system component – municipal biodegradable waste and evaluates its management’s efficiency in Kaunas City Municipality. The first part of this paper is devoted to the waste management concept dynamics analysis, public government evaluation criteria and its methods identification, especially focusing on efficiency. The part of research evaluates the efficiency of the municipal biodegradable waste management system in 2013 which is ruled by Kaunas City Municipality. The main research object is an infrastructure of technical equipment of municipal biodegradable waste management system. Efficiency is valued using cost-effectiveness method. The study established that the currently existing system of municipal biodegradable waste management system is ineffective. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ppaa.15.1.14694

Efficacy of Locust Beans Husk Char in Heavy Metal Sequestration

Most solid waste management schemes minimally consider low concentration biodegradable agricultural waste management, though the environmental impact of this waste category is significant over a time frame. The column-mode study seeks to address the issue by suggesting potential utilisation of post-harvest waste for heavy metal sequestering. Locust beans husk char of 100 and 200 g was employed to inspect removal efficiency, isotherm and kinetic models of some heavy metals at 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 min contact time. Elemental composition of the biosorbent was investigated using the SEM-EDX machine. The results obtained depict that over 85% aluminium and nickel removal was achieved at 150 min detention time. The Freundlich isotherm well described most of the sorbates sorption (R 2 ≥ 0.91). The sorption rate equally fitted into the second-order pseudo kinetic model (R 2 ≥ 0.88). Ion exchange took place during the sorption. Locust beans husk has promising adsorption potential in heavy metal ions removal from fouled surface water. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.71.4.13081

A Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis of Waste Treatment Options for Food and Biodegradable Waste Management in Japan

Dealing with large-scale Food and Biodegradable Waste (FBW) often results in many logistical problems and environmental impacts to be considered. These can become great hindrances when the integration of solid waste management is concerned. Extra care is needed to plan such waste disposal or treatment services and facilities, especially with respect to the ecological impact. Decision-making with regards to the sustainable use of these facilities also involves tradeoffs between a number of conflicting objectives, since increasing one benefit may decrease the others. In this study a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) is presented to evaluate different waste management options and their applicability in Japan. The analytical process aims at selecting the most suitable waste treatment option, using pairwise comparisons conducted within a decision hierarchy that was developed through the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The results of this study show that anaerobic digestion should be chosen as the best FBW treatment option with regards to resource recovery. The study also presents some conditions and recommendations that can enhance the suitability of other options like incineration and composting.

Effect of Household Solid Waste on Initial Growth Performance of Acacia auriculiformis and Cedrela toona in Mycorrhiza Inoculated Soil

Solid waste disposal and management became one of the major environmental concerns in Bangladesh. Realising the problem, the present study has been undertaken with a view to find a sound and effective way of bio-degradable solid waste management. The study was carried out in the nursery of Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences at University of Chittagong to determine the effects of solid waste and waste inoculated with mycorrhizal soil on initial growth performance of Acacia auriculiformis and Cedrela toona. Before planting the seedlings, decomposable waste and mycorrhiza inoculated decomposable waste were placed on the planting holes. Physical growth parameters of seedlings (shoot and root length, leaf and branch number, fresh and dry weight of shoot and root and nodulation status) and the macro nutrients (N, P and K) were recorded after six months of planting. The highest performance of physical parameters was recorded in the soil treated by mycorrhiza inoculated waste. Cedrela toona was represented by maximum nutrients uptake (N-2.60%, P-0.21% and K-2.34% respectively) in the soil treated with mycorrhiza. In case of Acacia auriculiformis, N uptake was maximum (3.02%) in control while K uptake was highest (1.27%) in soil with waste and P (0.18%) uptake was highest in the soil treated with mycorrhiza inoculated waste. Highest initial growth performance was revealed by seedlings treated with mycorrhiza inoculated waste. This study suggested to use mycorrhiza and waste for plantation purposes for hygienic disposal of solid waste and to reduce cost of cultivation.

Improving material and energy recovery from the sewage sludge and biomass residues

Sewage sludge management is a big problem all over the world because of its large quantities and harmful impact on the environment. Energy conversion through fermentation, compost production from treated sludge for agriculture, especially for growing energetic plants, and treated sludge use for soil remediation are widely used alternatives of sewage sludge management. Recently, in many EU countries the popularity of these methods has decreased due to the sewage sludge content (heavy metals, organic pollutions and other hazards materials). This paper presents research results where the possibility of solid recovered fuel (SRF) production from the separate fraction (10–40mm) of pre-composted materials – sewage sludge from municipal waste water treatment plant and biomass residues has been evaluated. The remaining fractions of pre-composted materials can be successfully used for compost or fertiliser production, as the concentration of heavy metals in the analysed composition is reduced in comparison with sewage sludge. During the experiment presented in this paper the volume of analysed biodegradable waste was reduced by 96%: about 20% of input biodegradable waste was recovered to SRF in the form of pellets with 14.25MJkg−1 of the net calorific value, about 23% were composted, the rest – evaporated and discharged in a wastewater. The methods of material-energy balances and comparison analysis of experiment data have been chosen for the environmental impact assessment of this biodegradable waste management alternative. Results of the efficiency of energy recovery from sewage sludge by SRF production and burning, comparison analysis with widely used bio-fuel–sawdust and conclusions made are presented.

Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Due to Improvement of Biodegradable Waste Management System

Abstract To reduce emissions of greenhouse gas (GHG) from landfills, the European Union (EU) Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC requires that there be a progressive decrease in the municipal biodegradable waste disposal. The main problem of waste management (WM) in Latvia is its heavy dependence on the waste disposal at landfills. The poorly developed system for the sorted municipal waste collection and the promotion of landfilling as a major treatment option led to the disposal of 84% of the total collected municipal waste in 2012, with a high biodegradable fraction. In Latvia, the volume of emissions due to activities of the WM branch was 5.23% (632.6 CO2 eq.) of the total GHG emissions produced in the National economy in 2010 (12 097 Gg CO2 eq., except the land use, land-use change and forestry). Having revised the current situation in the management of biodegradable waste in Latvia, the authors propose improvements in this area. In the work, analysis of environmental impact was carried out using Waste Management Planning System (WAMPS) software in the WM modelling scenarios. The software computes the emissions, energy and turnover of waste streams for the processes within the WM system such as waste collection and transportation, composting, anaerobic digestion, and the final disposal (landfilling or incineration). The results of WAMPS modelling are presented in four categories associated with the environmental impact: acidification, global warming, eutrophication and photo-oxidant formation, each characterised by a particular emission. These categories cover an integrated WM system, starting with the point when products turn to waste which is then thrown into the bin for waste at its generation source, and ending with the point where the waste transforms either into useful material (recycled material, biogas or compost) or contributes to emissions into environment after the final disposal at a landfill or an incineration plant

An integrated solution to wastewater and biodegradable organic waste management by applying anaerobic digestion and membrane bioreactor processes

An integrated system for the biological treatment of wastewater and biodegradable organic waste (BOW) was examined. The system consisted of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) for the treatment of sewage and an anaerobic digestion (AD) unit for the treatment of biowaste and sewage sludge. The ‘zero’ waste concept was the driving force for its implementation, targeting at the effective treatment of BOW, sewage sludge and wastewater and at energy and materials recovery. BOW and wastewater were fed to the integrated treatment system to produce treated effluent suitable for irrigation, energy and a stabilized solid to be used as soil improver. The system was operated for one year, from start-up to process optimization. After the start-up, five experimental stages were carried out for the MBR process and four phases for the AD process. Under optimized operating conditions, the MBR achieved 99% removal of ammonium nitrogen, 95% removal of nitrogen and 96% removal of chemical oxygen demand. The treated effluent satisfied the Cypriot water reuse standards. The energy balance showed that the AD required 5% of heat and 3.5% of electricity from the total energy of the produced biogas to maintain its operation. This resulted in 50% of excess heat and 31.5% of excess electricity.

CHANGES IN THE CONCENTRATION OF HEAVY METALS (CR, CD, NI) DURING THE VERMICOMPOSTING PROCESS OF SEWAGE SLUDGE / SUNKIŲJŲ METALŲ (CR, CD, NI) KONCENTRACIJŲ KAITA NUOTEKŲ DUMBLO VERMIKOMPOSTAVIMO PROCESO METU

Sewage sludge treatment and utilization is an important issue for a biodegradable waste management strategy. Heavy metals in sewage sludge complicate its use. Vermicomposting is one of the ways to improve the characteristics of sewage sludge and to reduce the residual concentrations of heavy metals. Study on changes in the concentration of heavy metals (Chromium, Nickel and Cadmium), when vermicomposting sewage sludge, was performed using Californian earthworms (Eisenia fetida). For that purpose, 60 kg of sewage sludge from Vilnius Waste Water Treatment Plant were taken thus inserting 1.5 kg of Californian earthworms into it. Optimal conditions for work (optimum temperature, moisture, pH) for earthworms to survive were maintained in the course of the study that lasted 120 days and was conducted in June – August. The samples of sewage sludge and earthworms were taken every 10 days. The concentrations of heavy metals in sewage sludge were measured using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Nuotekų dumblo tvarkymo ir naudojimo problema – svarbi biologiškai skaidžių atliekų tvarkymo strategijos dalis. Lietuvoje kasmet susidaro apie 80 tūkst. tonų nuotekų dumblo, o didžiausia dalis šio kiekio vis dar sandėliuojama valyklų aikštelėse. Nuotekų dumblas gali būti efektyviai naudojamas žemės ūkyje, tačiau sunkieji metalai, esantys nuotekų dumble, apsunkina jo naudojimą. Vienas iš būdų pagerinti dumblo savybes ir kartu sumažinti liekamąsias metalų koncentracijas – nuotekų dumblo vermikompostavimas. Sunkiųjų metalų (chromo, nikelio ir kadmio) koncentracijų kaitos vermikompostuojant nuotekų dumblą tyrimas atliktas naudojant Kalifornijos sliekus (Eisenia fetida). Tirta sunkiųjų metalų koncentracijos kaita viso kompostavimo proceso metu. Tyrimui naudotas nuotekų dumblas (60 kg) buvo paimtas iš Vilniaus miesto nuotekų valyklos ir į jį įleista 1,5 kg Kalifornijos sliekų. Viso tyrimo metu buvo palaikomos optimalios sąlygos sliekams gyvuoti ir veikti (optimali temperatūra, drėgmė, pH). Tyrimo trukmė – 120 parų (birželio–rugpjūčio mėnesiai), dumblo mėginiai imti 10 parų intervalu. Išmatuotos ir nustatytos sunkiųjų metalų – chromo, nikelio ir kadmio – koncentracijos nuotekų dumble.

Municipal solid waste: zero tolerance management strategy

Currently, Indian cities generate waste which is being disposed in its outskirt as open dumping. This approach affects health and life of people living at city outskirts. A paradigm shift is required in the approach to waste management. Waste management policy should aim at scientific processing of waste within the city itself. This paper highlights policy framework towards management of biodegradable waste through biogas plants and its advantages. Based on the current challenges faced by municipal authorities, solution based matrix planning has been reported. Incentive and subsidy scheme along with support from different section of society and government bodies has been widely discussed and dissipated in this paper.

Experimental biogas research by anaerobic digestion of waste of animal origin and biodegradable garden waste

Currently, one of the most efficient and prospective methods of biodegradable waste management is anaerobic digestion in a bio-reactor. The use of this method for managing biodegradable waste generating in agriculture and elsewhere would result in the recovery of biogas that could be used as an alternative to natural gas. The article presents the results of the experimental tests of biogas production through biological degradation of waste in a bio-reactor by using a mixture of pig manure (PM) and garden waste (GW) in a ratio of 90:10%, a mixture of hen manure (HM) and GW in a ratio of 90:10%. A higher concentration of methane was recorded during the treatment of a pig manure and garden waste mixture in a ratio of 90:10%. The maximum concentration of methane reached 68.0%. Since the methane concentration in this mixture was from 1.5 times higher than in the other mixture. The mixture of pig manure and garden waste was better suitable for biogas and methane production. The biggest amount of bio-gas was registered in 22 days which amounted to 0.650 m 3 /m 3 d. The methane concentration in biogas was largest (65%) and this mixture of organic wastes was the best for energy production. Anaerobic digestion of other mixtures showed the following biogas amounts and methane concentrations: 0.311 m3/m3d and 52% (in the case of a PM and GW mixture), respectively; and 0.39 m3/m3d and 26.7% (a mixture of HM and GW), respectively. Key words : Bio-reactor, biogas, methane, anaerobic digestion, garden waste.